Wonderer
by FaithStarLight
Summary: Ed awakes in complete shock. He doesn't recall what happened to him and he has no clue where Al is. When his questions are answered, how will he keep his life under control and endure the war breaking out in the world? **Summary may change later**
1. Help

**Alright, I'm being brave and submitting my first Fullmetal Alchemist story. God I'm so scared on how people will react to it XD Especially since I'm kind of wondering around the actual plot. Like it says in my Profile, I just started writing and I just want to continue :-P **

**Anyway, this chapter is very short, something to try and get people wanting to read more. Don't be disappointed because I usually just write my stories as one big thing and forget to put chapters in (usually I put ''). Hence why some of the chapters may be short. But, like I said it's my first FanFic and I'm learning :-D **

**To the people who will read this, I'm sure you're all aware that I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I'm just a number one fan like millions of other people :-D**

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The current of beeping notes played repetitively in the young alchemist's ears. His body felt hot and clammy as he tossed around the thin white sheets providing him with a limited amount of heat. He occasionally began opening his eyelids to gaze around the atmosphere he lay in; however, his vision was blurred and weary.

Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, lay in a shocking and unpleasant state that wet Thursday morning. The thoughts running through his mind was the only thing keeping him alive and sane. He couldn't see where he was; hear anyone's voice; remember what had caused him to be in this situation. The reason was there, sitting at the back of his mind, waiting to be found, but trying to recall it only brought more pain through his body; through his mind.

The young Alchemist tried to speak. He tried to call out for someone, but nothing but a small yelp breathed through his throat. His voice had dried up.

Ed's eyes had also dried. The only thing remaining of his cries were the tears which stained his cheeks. He knocked his head side to side, gritting his teeth upsettingly, wishing to wail, and wishing to cry uncontrollably. Anything to let him be heard.

A powerful wind howled from the outside, overtaking the noise of the beeping. Ed's breathing, however, sounded even greater as he panicked in this alienated place. He was alone. No one to talk to; to hold his hand; to assure him he would be okay because they would always be there.

Suddenly, something familiar struck his mind. Those words 'always be there' continued to run behind his closed eyes. Where had he heard them before? Was this linked to why he was here? Ed's brow lowered deeply as the ache in the head continued to burn. As much as he tried to recollect the memories that seemed to have drifted away, there was no hint of what had happened to result in this circumstance. No sound, no touch, no familiar face-

'_Brother! Help me!'_

Ed swallowed thoroughly. That voice … it was so familiar … why couldn't he remember? The alchemist clenched his flesh fist achingly, forming crescent engraved marks in the palm. He remembered having only one real arm … one real leg … but why? Were they linked to this person calling him brother? Why couldn't he recall what had happened? Was it really _that_ shocking to recover?

The twelve year old opened his lips slightly, trying to make a noise once again. Was that his voice that sounded in his head? He couldn't even remember what he sounded like. How long had he been lying in this condition?

'_Brother! Please! I need you to help! I need you to wake up!'_

Wake up? He wasn't asleep. Was he? Was this all a dream? Or was … was he dead? Was someone calling him from the other side? No! That was ludicrous, he was the Fullmetal Alchemist! He couldn't die. He had a job to do. He had to look out for-

"AL!"

Ed's eyes shot open. He had awakened.

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**Hope that was satisfactory for you all :) Please leave a review so I can make it better and continue. Much appreciated :)**


	2. Determined

**Ah, I couldn't help myself XD I had to upload another chapter because; one, the first chapter was short; and two, my writing was staring at me :-P But maybe doing this will help me out so good luck to me :-D **

**Hope the story isn't confusing, I'm just trying to make it sound exciting so people will want to know what happened (like everyone wants in their stories, duh). **

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"… Al …" Ed repeated slowly. His golden eyes circled around, finally witnessing a clear view of the area. "Al?"

The room was deserted. The beeping had speeded up slightly as Ed regained consciousness. His blonde haired head drifted gradually around the empty space of the area. All he could see was white.

Swallowing the dry lump in his throat, young Ed chose to investigate more in the room he appeared in. After all, this might be his only chance of being able to see; being awake. Cautiously, he dragged himself up on to the pile of sweat and blood stained pillows. However, something felt different. Ed's eyes lowered nervously towards his right side, only to scream in shock as his automail arm had vanished.

"Al!?" he cried. No one appeared though. No one could hear him. Ed frowned miserably, biting his bottom cracked lip as he pondered on what to do next. That _was _until he felt the moulded shape underneath the creased sheet. His automail leg was still attached. He smiled thankfully.

Also under the sheet, the alchemist was very thankful to be wearing underwear, despite them probably being days old, depending on how long he had been lying there. Ed's bright eyes studied curiously at his body, expecting a small clue on what had happened, maybe triggering his memory. His bare chest was covered in bandages, which had begun unravelling as a consequence of the constant twisting in his deep slumber. He had also been scarred with deep cuts and bruises, which could be felt behind the bandages, and on his remaining arm and leg.

Sickly interested in what damage lay on his young body, Ed began unravelling the bandages, being particularly careful when needing to twist himself around to loop the medicated strap over his head.

His hand shook slightly, dropping the blood stained ribbon. The kid's upper body showed nauseating wounds and scars printed all over the skin. There appeared to be a deep gash in his side, which had been neatly sewn up to avoid infection. Ed ran his index finger over the stitching, admiring the fine craftwork; forgetting the most possible reason for it being made. The pair of sunny eyes had begun to fill with hurt tears as Edward stared down at himself in absolute fear. He couldn't summon up the past to bring forth the cause of these wounds. There was no thought of what could have happened while he had been asleep. There was no memory of Al's presence before he fell unconscious …

"Al …" Ed sobbed. He had no recollection of his brother's whereabouts or what had concluded in a result of his injuries. Alphonse Elric, the younger of the two, was the only family Edward had left. The only person he truly cared for in his life. The one person he had vowed to take care of no matter what. Those thoughts only made the young alchemist cry more as he felt as if he had disappointed his brother, and all the encouraging and shielding words had gone to waste.

It was at that moment that Edward's mind managed to remind him how he had woken up. His younger brother's words - words of assistance. Ed bravely sniffed up the tears and calmed his frantic breathing as he decided to find the whereabouts of Alphonse. After that, he would work out why he had been placed here.

The alchemist's long, blonde hair was tied in a scruffy braid. He only wished he had two hands to sort it out, though dirty hair wouldn't be very appealing to touch. Using his left hand, Ed wiped his eyes clean of the unattractive clumps of sleep. It was then he noticed a wire trailing from his wrist over to the irritating heart monitor. Using his front teeth he ripped the pulse reader off and spat it on to the floor. He exhaled. Shakily his legs moved out from the bed for what felt like the first time in years.

With a silent thud and a loud clamp, both feet lay softly against the cold, firm flooring. Using his one arm for support, Ed forced himself unsteadily on to his feet. At first, the experience was a slight struggle as Ed stumbled forward, almost landing sorely on his face. Luckily for him, and his painful scars, he caught a hold of the wall, sticking his moist palm on to the surface.

The door wasn't far away, but it looked as though it would be a challenging obstacle since the alchemist hadn't even realised the damage done to his right leg. He immediately had second thoughts on leaving the room. His leg was mainly damaged around the knee, looking badly bruised and not in the correct place. Daringly, Ed leant sideways, allowing all his weight to push down on the limb, his teeth clenched to prepare for some severe pain.

His hand slipped.

Ed smacked his weak body off the floor, shrieking in agony as his ribs were caught under the pressure of the sudden collision. His whole body shook in terror as he imagined the possibility of being far too damaged and fragile to find and save Alphonse, whatever his help may be. A sudden outburst of tears plunged on to the solid flooring.

"Al …" he snivelled during breaths.

The Fullmetal Alchemist thought back to Al's cries. Sadly, they didn't encourage him to get up at all, instead they made him feel the excruciating pain of guilt. However, Ed knew deep down inside that he awoke for a reason. He had the chance to make something right, even though he had no clue on where to start. There was no point in choosing to give up. His little brother needed him.

Determined to try once again, Ed filled his arm with the remains of his strength and pushed his upper body from the floor, using his knees for support. He grabbed a hold of the wall and dragged himself up until his feet stood steady. Facing towards the door, Ed took sturdy baby steps towards his exit. The pain was unbearable. The kid's knee felt as if it would give way in any second, and the tendons in his arm felt so used. Nevertheless, the sooner he reached the door, the sooner he could work out his location, and that was the first step in order to reminisce the fogged up past in his mind.

Although feeling a slight bit of fear in his gut, the alchemist stretched out his arm and grasped a tight hold of the thick metal bar attached to the door. Sighing in relief, Ed forced the handle down and used his shoulder to shove the weighted barricade open.

A brush of cold air enveloped around Ed's aching body. He shivered and stepped back inside to escape the drop of the temperature. The boy had been melting in the thin white sheet, drops of sweat had been rolling down his forehead and his skin became sticky underneath the cover. In some way, he wished he was back in the bed. That cold brush was almost stinging that it even formed goose bumps. He desperately wished he had clothes.

Slowly, the door opened again. Edward's bright eyes peered around the edge of the metallic door and examined the area in front of him.

There was a long, shining floor enclosed in a small corridor, leading far off until Ed couldn't see anymore. There was no one around. Surprisingly, this made the kid feel safe. Who knew what lurked in this icy cold, deserted and unfamiliar building.

"Al?" he croaked. He swallowed hard and spoke again. "Al!?" he called, his voice shaking slightly.

Suddenly, an alarming bang sent forward the twin doors, situated at the very bottom of the hall. Ed gasped in panic as he backed away into the room, keeping the door open slightly to observe the cause of the noise.

"Hurry, get him to the emergency ward! We need to get his blood sample, stat!"

A squeaky trolley-like bed was driven down past Ed at an incredible speed. Several people dressed in blood stained clothing scurried along side it. Their faces bare with confidence, secretly hiding their doubts in their assigned job.

Ed stuck his head around the door frame, watching the swift people run through another pair of doors. Catching his frantic breath back, Ed finally stepped out from the lonesome room and headed along the floor, leaning himself securely on the wall, ignoring the fact that it froze his body irritatingly.

Bright lights beamed from above, shadowing Ed's unsteady image across the floor. He continued sniffing away the remainder of the tears that emerged startlingly. His stomach twirled in sickness as he thought back to the rushing people. He didn't recognise them, but if they were the people who had kept him in that room then they definitely wouldn't want the young alchemist escaping and wondering around the place.

Up ahead, which Ed hadn't noticed, stood a lengthy wooden bench. Just to its left was another door, like the one he had come from. Excitedly, the kid scurried over to the seat and flopped down exhaustedly, letting his limbs spread out and tilting his head back against the wall. A small smile spread across Edward's face. He felt so comfortable all of a sudden that even his eyes began to close.

"This is becoming insane. How many more do they want us to bring in?"

Ed's eyes shot open. His plaited hair fell about his shoulders as his head shifted side to side, trying to locate the unforeseen voice. He slid his body towards the end of the bench. The voice was on the other side of the door.

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**I'm still nervous, but I'm keeping strong. I'm sure everyone felt nervous when submitting their first story (if you didn't, you're a lucky duck! :-D) **

**Please review me :) I'm only a beginner, but like the chapter title says, I'm determined ;)**


	3. In Good Hands

**Ta-da! :) Chapters are continuing to be short, but that's only cause I'm taking it easy writing this. I want it to be worth reading. Besides, I'm sure chapters will become longer later on. It's only the beginning after all ;)**

**jenelric****, thanks for being my first reviewer! :-D**

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"Settle down, Lieutenant Havoc," Riza said sternly. The blonde woman gazed down sadly at the badly injured citizen. Their face was hidden in bloody wounds.

"She's right, you know. We don't know what to expect from this war. What we do know is that in every war, there is pain and death. Therefore there will be plenty more damaged people out on those grounds, so we can't expect it to stop any time soon." Roy Mustang, the Colonel of the State Military, held his hands behind his back and headed towards the door.

"Sir? Where are you going?" Riza asked.

"To check up on Fullmetal," he replied.

"Sir, we haven't been informed of any improvement. There won't be a chance to see him until he wakes up," Major Armstrong explained, standing in his usual proud posture.

"Is that so?" Mustang mused.

"Roy, please don't cause any trouble," Riza spoke, mentioning his first name to make clear her seriousness. "This really isn't the time to cause an intrusion on a healing patient."

Mustang stood still, his hand clasped around the door handle. He stared miserably towards the floor. The whole room fell into a complete and awkward silence.

"Sir?"

"I'm alright, Hawkeye," the Colonel answered. Sighing quietly, Mustang headed back into one of the visitors chairs and stared at the bloody body, lying dead on the hospital bed.

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"A … A …" Ed forced himself to speak, but nothing would come out. (Nothing except 'Al', which he didn't intend on saying). He recognised those voices. He recognised those names. Surely Ed was in good hands now that the State Military were here. On the other hand, the words he had heard made an impact on Ed's thoughts. The alchemist desperately wanted to ask questions, find out what had happened to him; why he was here; why he was hurt; and more importantly, where was Alphonse.

At that moment, the door opened.

"I'm going to check up on the others. See if they have found any more bodies … hopefully ones that aren't dead."

"Yes Sir," the other three answered.

Roy Mustang emerged from the ward, closing the door firmly behind him. At first he overlooked the confused state of young Edward, who scuttled back along the bench. But Mustang wasn't the man to miss an obvious thing. His dark, mysterious eyes crept to one side, capturing the sight of the Fullmetal Alchemist. Mustang's body turned to face the twelve year old and he stared down at him, completely flabbergasted that Ed was awake.

"Fullmetal?" he asked in slight disbelief.

Ed gazed up at the towering figure. His golden orbs filled with panic; his bottom lip quivering in nervousness. This was his chance to ask the Colonel what the circumstances were. Find the explanation for his gashes. The kid gulped down the remains of his trembling tears, opened his mouth, and replied with:

"A … A … Al?"

"Are you alright, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked, kneeling down to Ed's level.

Ed opened his mouth to try and speak again, hoping to say something other than his brother's name. Unfortunately, only tiny squeaks from the back of the throat cropped up. Mustang jolted upwards and forced open the ward door.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, I need you here now!"

"Colonel, what is it?" Riza asked, walking towards the door leaving Havoc and Armstrong in question. Immediately after stepping out the room, Riza glanced at the child sitting weakly on the chair and she cupped her hand over her mouth. "Edward!" she gasped.

"He's in shock, Hawkeye. Take him back to his room. I'll send Havoc to tell the doctors about his awakening."

"Yes Sir," Riza nodded. She held out her left hand as an act of trust. It seemed as if Ed was too scared to say anything or move closer. Riza smiled. "Come on, Edward. Everything's going to be okay."

Ed lifted his only arm gradually until his hand clasped a hold of Riza's. She helped lift him on to the floor, taking extra care when her eyes noticed the threatening injuries. Using her other hand to support his back, Riza walked behind Ed, leading him back into his empty white room.

At the same time, Mustang showed himself in the ward where Havoc and Armstrong immediately issued the serious tone of his voice.

"Lieutenant Havoc, I need you to go to find Fullmetal's doctor and give him the news."

"News, Sir?" Havoc asked quickly.

"He's awake," Roy said shortly. Havoc's jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious!"

"I am," Roy told him. "Go now."

Havoc nodded while saluting before pacing out of the room in search of the doctor. Major Armstrong faced down to his instructor's face, waiting for instructions.

"I'm not sure there's much more we can do for now, Major. It seems that Fullmetal is in complete shock about the war. All he would say to me was his brother's name."

"Do you think he knows what happened to young Alphonse Elric?" Armstrong questioned. Roy folded his arms.

"At this time … I hope not," Mustang admitted, thinking back to the disastrous events taking place at this time.

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**Sounding good? :) I wonder where Al could be ...? Don't worry, Ed will talk soon enough. But like Roy said: "He's in shock."**


	4. Facing A State Of Shock

**Alright, this chapter isn't written as well as I wanted it to be. I do apologise, but my brain couldn't think straight. Hope it doesn't sound too bad. Also, I think I realised that the Military's titles are maybe wrong? Ed's 12 years old, so I think I've made a major mistake. But I'm not so sure where this is in the Anime time line. Anyway, enjoy! :)**

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Riza's hand pushed open the young Alchemist's ward door, maintaining a firm yet soft hold of Edward's body, stopping him from toppling over. Stepping inside, her brown eyes instantly caught sight of the filthy sheets and the unravelled bandage that lay abandoned on the polished, smooth flooring.

"Here we are, Edward," she said kindly, aiding the kid's weak body to the end of the bed. As he sat down, Riza pulled the duvet sheet over the mattress and flipped the pillows, hoping to make Ed a little more comfortable. No one would want to lie in their own filth even when injured.

The Alchemist frowned petulantly at the sight of the room he wanted to escape from. How on earth was he supposed to find Al if the Military were going to keep him sheltered in this secured building?

"You can relax now, Edward," Riza informed him. "Everything's going to be fine."

The blonde woman supported Ed's body once again, laying him safely back on to the bed and he exhaled in fatigue. Riza sat in the near by visitor's chair, waiting for the doctor. She purposely made no eye contact with the child, not wanting to give him any news that could put him in a worse position, possibly putting him into severe depression. Her light eyes gazed wondrously at the securely tight door, leaving Ed to himself.

Lieutenant Hawkeye's words sounded very comforting, but to the young male he felt a sickening aura, knowing that whatever he was here for could only result in the worst news. Riza wouldn't even look at him. He didn't feel any consolation, and only wished to have his arm back and to find Al. Lying in a heap and waiting for Riza to talk was just a waste of his time. His thin lips opened slightly, pressuring himself to speak a question to break from this silent misery.

"Al? A … A …" Ed spoke hoarsely.

"Just take it easy, Edward. You need your rest. I promise everything will be sorted once you're better."

Ed refused to listen and tensed his stomach muscles, pulling himself up from the bedding. His real arm grabbed a tight hold of the sheets for more support, but Riza was having none of it.

"Edward, stay still. If you don't remain calm then-"

Riza's voice was cut off as Roy Mustang entered the room, showing no sign of a smile on his face.

"Even when he had a near death experience he won't obey orders," Roy said, frowning at Ed's keen behaviour to escape. Riza stood up and saluted almost instantly.

"How's he doing, Lieutenant?"

"He's eager to escape, Sir," Riza told her boss. She lowered her voice into a whisper, as she left Ed wound up in his thoughts. "He only mentions his brother's name."

"Alphonse will be the only thing he's concerned about at this time," Roy said quietly, dropping his hands into his pockets. Riza tilted her head forward slightly, trying to stop the worry from showing in her eyes. "Hawkeye," Roy sighed, "don't."

"I hope we're not interrupting anything."

Everyone turned their attention to Havoc. The second Lieutenant stood grinning at the starry-eyed picture of Roy and Riza, who had turned themselves away from each other in advance. Behind Havoc entered Ed's doctor.

"No, Havoc. You're fine," Roy answered, watching the doctor manoeuvre his way towards Edward. Riza inhaled slowly, hoping to stop the tears from spilling.

"So Ed's awake, huh? He's not looking so good," Havoc said half-heartedly. The doctor made his way to the bed, checking the current state of Ed's wounds, heart rate, and his reactions to the world he woke up in.

"We should leave," Riza said shortly, marching out of the room in a hurry. Havoc's eyes watched curiously, beaming pleasingly back at Mustang, who shrugged off Havoc's suspicious faces.

"Be sure to give us the news when you're done, Doctor," Roy said, walking out the door with Havoc following close behind.

Riza was out of sight, giving Havoc the perfect time to speak up. He leant himself against the wall, feeling completely content while crossing his arms.

"What's the word, Chief?"

"What?"

"You and Lieutenant Hawkeye seemed pretty close before. Something going on between you two?" Havoc's voice rose slightly in pitch as he listened eagerly for some news.

"No," Mustang snorted. "She's just upset about the boys. It's perfectly understandable, but I'm choosing not to interfere with her emotions."

"Ever thought of _being there_ for her?" Havoc hinted, lifting his eyebrows high. Roy didn't say a word. After a few seconds of silence, Havoc couldn't stand the silence. Deciding the best way to cure his boredom was to smoke, he left the Colonel alone. Alone to muse in his thoughts.

'_I am there for her … I just don't know how to show it …'_

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After a short ten minutes of patient waiting, Roy Mustang was confronted by Ed's doctor outside the door. None of the other officers had returned, so he heard Edward's recovery status for himself.

"He's maintaining a good pulse rate, his breathing is normal … the only problem really is his wounds, which will need more time to heal-"

"-Of course," Roy interrupted.

"And, as you can imagine, he is in quite a bit of shock. The best thing for him now is rest and reassurance," Dr. Wilson explained kindly. Mustang didn't smile, but nodded in understanding. He gripped his hand around the door handle, ready to face the alchemist.

"Just one other thing, which could help him recover," the doctor noted. Roy waited intriguingly. "This person he keeps asking for … Al, is it? I suggest you let him stay with Edward. He might be just the person to take him out of his shock state."

"Yes," Roy answered in a breath. He knew the truth. He knew that Alphonse wasn't anywhere near Central and no one knew where to start looking. He knew that Edward wanted to see Al more than anyone else … but there was nothing he could do.

The dark haired man entered the hushed, white room. A cold shiver crawled down his back as he glimpsed the sight of Ed, lying in a fragile condition; tears staining his cheeks as they made their way down to his jaw. The doctor had provided clean bandages around Ed's wounds, including the space where his right arm should be.

Roy's stomach swirled. He felt a deep feeling of sorrow for the kid, despite knowing Ed disobeyed orders. He had prepared a rather strict awareness speech for the young alchemist as soon as he woke up, but the more he mused over the unspoken dialogue, the more he realised that Ed was under a lot of stress now and should probably wait until later days.

"Edward?" the Colonel spoke, unsure if he should receive a reply or not.

Ed's large, saddened eyes pierced Mustang's heart like a knife through butter. The blond knew he couldn't speak, so there was no answer. Not even an insult to Roy Mustang could be said. Ed was in too much shock, confusion, and fear.

"Edward … I know you can't speak at this time. But you deserve to know what the situation is," Roy explained, sitting himself on the visitor chair. "However, to know that, we will have to recap on past events leading up to this crisis. It's obvious you have no clue on what has happened."

Edward shook his head; tears spilling down his face unintentionally. A shuddering breath exhaled through Ed's lips. His flesh arm lifted unhurriedly from the cold sheets, reaching outward towards Roy's face. The Colonel froze. Watching the young alchemist move in a snails pace was like seeing him suffering towards death. Suddenly, Ed's hand dropped weakly, his fingertips managing to grip on to Roy's uniform collar.

"Al," the blond stated sternly. Gritting his teeth, he thought aggravatingly about the words he wanted; no, _needed_, to say. "Tell … _me_."

Edward's new words began ringing inside Roy's ears as if Ed was a baby, speaking for the first time. Now that he had Ed's attention, the Colonel knew the time was right. Staring seriously at Ed with his darkened eyes, Roy sighed.

"Let's start."

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**I also realised that I was putting the feminine spelling of blonde in, so that's been changed (Thanks to my boyfriend :D)  
**


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